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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27871077">An Owl in the North Pole</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Karasela/pseuds/Karasela'>Karasela</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender, Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Avatar &amp; Benders Setting, Bokuto is the avatar, Kuroo Tetsurou is Bad at Feelings, M/M, Oblivious Bokuto Koutarou, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, bokuroo - Freeform, haikyuu!! - Freeform, iwaoi - Freeform, this is very straightforward</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-11 00:48:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,500</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27871077</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Karasela/pseuds/Karasela</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Bokuto has lived his entire life in the North Pole as the adopted son of the Chief. He's only known life in the north, but that all changes when he meets Kuroo. Found in a shipwreck in their waters, the Chief brings Kuroo to the city and they accept him as a refugee escaping from the Fire Nation. If only they had known his true intentions.</p>
<p>or</p>
<p>Bokuto is the avatar and only a handful of people know. Kuroo is given specific instructions to bring back the Fire Lord's son, but it's a hard task to get done when his hostage is oh-so sweet.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Bokuto Koutarou/Kuroo Tetsurou, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prologue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello! This is my first work on ao3! I hope you guys enjoy this atla au! Just for some more insight, this plot is inspired by the original Avatar the Last Airbender plot, with a few changes and tweaks! I hope ya'll enjoy it!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Wow…” Bokuto gasped, his mitten clad hand reaching up to try and catch the snowflakes that danced in the surrounding air. Bokuto’s mother sat behind him, a sad smile on her face as she watched the little boy play in the snow. “Momma, why don’t we have snow like this at home?” Bokuto wondered aloud, turning back to look at his mother with curious honey glazed eyes.</p>
<p>“It’s too warm for snow in the Fire Nation, Kou,” His mother explained, looking up at the chief in front of her. “Why don’t you go play with the other kids, yeah?” His mother suggested, gently nudging the boy in the direction of the other children. She watched as he pouted before reluctantly making his way towards the other children. “They’ll be looking for him. As far as his father is concerned, he thinks we made our way towards the Earth Kingdom. Thank you, for taking him in,” Aklaq, the chief, looked up in surprise, a subtle blush spreading across his face.</p>
<p>“Oh, it’s nothing, really. My boy could do with the company. He’ll be raised as one of my own boys, don’t you worry about a thing. We’ll make sure he learns from the best, and make sure he’s ready for the road ahead of him,” Aklaq promised, a reassuring smile on his face. Yuki, Bokuto’s mother, took Aklaq’s hands in hers, the tears pooling in her eyes as she suddenly let go of his hands and threw herself at him in a hug.</p>
<p>“Thank you, so, so, so much. I hope that one day I can return under happier circumstances,” Yuki murmured into Aklaq’s chest, pulling away to wipe her tears. Taking a deep breath, she took off the giant pack on her back, setting it onto the snow-covered earth. “I-I packed some of Kou’s favorite snacks and toys. I know he’s not supposed to remember too much of me, of home, but… He’ll know his truth in due time…” Yuki whispered, taking a step back from the bag on the floor. She would have to leave soon.</p>
<p>“Don’t you worry, Prince Koutaro is in good hands. He’ll be fully realized and back in your arms before you know it, Yuki.” Yuki smiled, bowing her head before making her way towards the boat that Aklaq had prepared for her. Koutaro was safe now. She just hoped that Koutaro got to his father before his father could get to him.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Focus,” Akaashi sighed, quickly whipping Bokuto across his back with a strand of ice-cold water from the various fountains in the courtyard. Bokuto yelped, whining as he rubbed what would soon be the angry welt on his back. Being the adopted son of the Chief was hard. It was even harder when his best friend was a child prodigy who had mastered the element by the time he was twelve.</p><p>“Hey! I’m trying! I thought this would be easier than spirit bending…” Bokuto grumbled, pouting as he lifted a puddle of water from the fountains. “What am I supposed to be doing?” Bokuto asked, his face defeated as he languidly moved his arms in a push in pull motion, the water lazily following the current he had set for it.</p><p>“Octopus form, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi sounded annoyed, tired, and frustrated with his quickly distracted and dejected friend. Bokuto groaned dramatically, focusing on having the water lift him. It gathered around his feet, coating his legs and a part of his torso, shimmering as it quivered beneath Bokuto’s weak hold. Grunting, he exerted his energy on forming a singular, flaccid arm before the water broke its form, sending Bokuto sliding across the ice floor of the courtyard.</p><p>“Are you sure my mother was a waterbender?” Bokuto whined, looking up at Akaashi with sad eyes. Despite being the more mature of the two, Akaashi let a grin flash across his face, amused at Bokuto’s trials and errors in waterbending.</p><p>“Bokuto-san, your mother was an expert waterbender of the South who passed at war with the Fire Nation. She took down three ships on her own-”</p><p>“Alongside Father, and after he saw her courage and bravery, he promised to raise her only son as one of his own, yaddah, yaddah, yaddah. C’mon Akaashi, I’ve been told this same story my whole life!” Bokuto exclaimed, letting himself fall back against the ice, wincing as his head banged against the clear ground.</p><p>“Up,” Akaashi commanded, using the excess water in Bokuto’s clothes to pull him into a standing position before pulling it out of his clothing and gently transferring it into the fountains in one fluid sweep. Bokuto shuddered at the sudden pull of water from his skin and clothes. No matter how many times he had done it, it always felt odd.</p><p>Akaashi was brilliant, a cold and somber genius from birth. He could bend water like no other warrior in the North, and he always did it with so much grace. His father was an advisor to Bokuto’s father, his mother a fire nation civilian seeking refuge in the North after betraying her Nation and its efforts at world domination.</p><p>There were lots of boys like Akaashi in the North. Little boys whose families had been lost to the war, stripped from their arms with no promise of return. They would practice from sunup until sundown to perfect their bending. In a Nation full of bending prodigies, Bokuto was the one exception. Bokuto had lost so much to the war, and yet, despite all his efforts to become as strong as those around him, he could never keep up. Time and time again he would slip, trip up, break his form, lose his focus. Bokuto felt like a brazen crackle of flames amongst chilled winds and snowstorms.</p><p>“If it helps, you’re the best spirit-bender I’ve ever seen,” Akaashi spoke softly from behind Bokuto, placing a comforting hand on his friend’s shoulder. Akaashi knew better than anyone what it had felt like to feel as if they didn’t belong. His mother was a native of the Nation that his people were fighting a war against, and while Akaashi’s eyes and spirit clung to the North, his face and skin betrayed him. Yet, Akaashi was blessed by the spirits, he was given a gift to protect others, and so he used it.</p><p>Bokuto, however, had never managed to fit in. His skin was white like the snow that flurried around them, his eyes were bright, amber puddles hiding amongst tundras. His spirit seemed to saturate itself in fire, glowing from the depths of hollow caves. Bokuto wasn’t like everyone else, and his waterbending only seemed to accentuate it even more.</p><p>“I’m the only one in the North who isn’t eighty-something years old. And there isn’t much use for spirit-benders when there aren’t many spirits around anymore,” Bokuto murmured, turning to look at Akaashi with dully lit eyes. “Akaashi, do you think- do you think there’s something wrong with me?” Bokuto wondered, his eyes prying into Akaashi’s aching chest.</p><p>“Of course no-”</p><p>“I mean, my mom was this amazing warrior. She could move the seas and she scared off three whole fleets! Three fleets Akaashi, and I was mentored by your father, you, Kajuqtuq, and Dad… But I can never manage to grasp it. I mean, it’s-it’s like I’m trying to grab at water. It’s there for a minute and then it just slips through my fingers…” Akaashi’s eyes widened into oceans of icy blue hues, his hands reaching for Bokuto.</p><p>“Uh, sorry. I think, I think Kajuqtuq needs me, later, ‘Kaashi!” Akaashi’s hand feel through the air, failing to catch Bokuto’s shoulder in time. He watched as the boy ran from him, sprinting into the swirling snow that seemed to shroud the entire North Pole. He hoped Bokuto would be okay…</p><p>***</p><p>It’s not that Bokuto didn’t have any faith in Aklaq, but he didn’t believe the stories that Aklaq had told him as a boy. As much as he wanted to believe that his mother was some mighty waterbender who had died fighting in the war, he just couldn’t. Not when the warriors would return and glare at him like they wanted to scoop the eyes from his head. Not when Akaashi’s mother had stared at him with so much fear. There was something that his father wasn’t telling him, there was something that everyone was hiding from him, and he was tired of it.</p><p>It was cold, as it had always been, and Bokuto found himself walking towards a cliff that he had become fond of. It was about twenty minutes away from the rest of the town, secluded in drifts of snow and ice. It overlooked a sea of dazzling glaciers, blinding beneath the cliff. Taking a stinging breath of nipping North Pole winds, Bokuto let himself fall backward, his back slamming against the permafrost that sat beneath layers and layers of powdery, compact snow. With a grunt, Bokuto spread his arms out, sighing as he let the snow settle and dance around his body. He wanted answers, he wanted to know who he really was, there was something that they weren't telling him. Perhaps, he would regret ever finding out.</p><p>***</p><p>“You know, it’s odd to see a doctor of all people making drugs,” Kuroo looked up from the various bowls and pots that sat in front of him. He was in a tiny and beat up abandoned shop somewhere off on the coasts of the Fire Nation. The shop was anything but nice, it was covered in soot, charred on the outside like a badly cooked pig, the inside smelled of wet towels and the attic smelled like mold. It was poorly lit by kindling flames in dingy lanterns placed about the shop, and if Kuroo was honest, there were too many flammable items in the old place to keep lanterns. But it was good money, and Kuroo would rather make his money this way than being forced to fight in a war he wanted nothing to do with.</p><p>“It was either go to war for Fire Lord Bozo and help his wounded soldiers for next to no money, or make drugs in a shithole for some good cash, I chose a shithole shack with a lab for substances,” Kuroo sighed, stretching his arms above his head, and wincing as they hit the ceiling of the weary shack.</p><p>“C’mon, we all know the real reason the Fire Lord wanted you and you alone for his special ops division, Rooster,” Kuroo’s eyes narrowed as he turned to stare at the small man before him. He was tiny, balding with a mouth full of holes and gaps. Anytime he lifted his arms, the entire shack seemed to get seeped in fumes. Kuroo could not hate a person more than he hated the man assigned to ‘guard’ the shack.</p><p>“Why did he want me, Jin?” Kuroo sneered, leaning in to stare the man directly in his face. Though Kuroo promptly regretted his decision when Jin smiled, the stench oozing from the cave of his mouth like some advanced weapon of war.</p><p>“You got fighting spirit like no other! You took on royal guards and beat ‘em! They even say you managed to sneak out without being caught! And didn’t ya’ sneak a bunch of people out of prison for treason? Why I bet ol’ Fire Bozo wants you to go look for his son!” Jin exclaimed, grinning as Kuroo turned his back to him and walked away in disgust.</p><p>Hearing stories of himself had always been amusing to Kuroo. He had a recollection of only two of the events that Jin had mentioned. Everything else must have been stories made by wandering travelers who had happened to hear a snippet of Kuroo’s match-up against royal guards.</p><p>“Well, Fire Bozo can go search for some other sorry imbecile,” Kuroo spat, sitting back down at the tiny desk he was provided to work on his current project. Kuroo used to help people, in a time before world domination, Kuroo led a peaceful and happy life with his elderly grandmother. He would go to work, pick up a few vegetables on the way back, and fix up the house while his grandmother cooked up a meal from her childhood. Those were happier times. Kuroo living by the sea, his grandmother humming whilst cooking, his patients stopping by in the evening to pick up medicine… Now here he was, in a cramped shack above an abandoned plaza with only one chimney, one door, and a tiny window. Kuroo had no idea how they had managed to fit such a lab in such a small place.</p><p>“Y’know, they say your father was making you into this unstoppable force of a soldier. Back when I was in the guard, I would see him walking you through hostage situations, and showing you the best way to infiltrate nations and take their heirs. Everyone thought you would become the next General, guess papa’s little boy wasn’t good enough,” Jin sneered, smirking at the way Kuroo’s body began to tense and quiver with frustration. He knew which places to prod and poke to get a good reaction from Kuroo, he always did.</p><p>“And I bet you would have if your mother hadn’t gone and-” Kuroo felt the fire rush from his palms before he could even think of his next move. In less than a second, he was spinning around, a hand engulfed by uncontrollable red and orange flames that he used to wrap around Jin’s throat.</p><p>“You don’t know a thing! Do you understand? Stop acting like you know me or my life! Stop acting like you’re above me!” Kuroo roared, struggling to confine the fire surging from his palm. Jin was panting, eyes wide with untamed fear, his skin beginning to blister beneath Kuroo’s hold. It wasn’t until he was screaming and begging for mercy that Kuroo let go of him, watching with wide eyes as the man fell into a crumpled mess onto the floor, squirming in pain while his own hands itched and rubbed to soothe the sores and bubbling blisters that seemed to spread along his angry red skin. </p><p>Enveloped in his own fear, terrified of what he had done, what he had become, Kuroo failed to notice the pounding footsteps trampling against roof shingles. He would have to leave, and soon, but from where? Kuroo looked around, his mind focused on running from the soldiers who were looking for him. They had been looking for him since the start of the war. Kuroo, in his opinion,  was very experienced in running from bumbling soldiers who couldn’t aim within an inch of their life. </p><p>Looking over to his left, Kuroo focused on the window, weighing his options. He only had a few moments. He could either run out through the door and run into the soldiers and fight, or he could struggle through the window and run. Looking back at the door on his right, Kuroo cringed, shaking his head before looking down at Jin who had stopped writhing long ago, blacked out from the pain. Kuroo had determined that his best option would be the window. </p><p>Taking a deep breath, Kuroo rushed to the window, breaking open the shutters with a swift kick of his leg. The wood splintered, clattering against roof shingles like rumbling thunder. If the soldiers didn’t know where Kuroo was before, they did now. Groaning to himself, Kuroo dove through the window, wincing as he rolled across the shingles that were falling one by one. He could only imagine, that by the grace of the spirits, he was able to stand and run before they could get to him. </p><p>But Kuroo had run far too soon, and far too fast. Before he could realize it, he was falling from the edge of the roof, his body colliding with a wooden cart that was in the alleyway he had fallen into. For as disoriented as he was, Kuroo could still feel the trickle of warm blood running down the back of his head. Had he hit his head? His vision was blurred, spotty as he looked around. The cart that he had fallen onto was crumpled now, shattered beneath his body, the splintered wood scathing his skin through his clothes. He could hear the soldiers’ feet slapping against the concrete as they neared, their helmets the only thing Kuroo saw before he lost consciousness. </p><p>***</p><p>“…Urou…”</p><p>“Tets….”</p><p>Kuroo blinked, cringing at the sudden feeling of nausea that instantly swarmed around his head. He could hear the soft crackling of a burning fire, and in front of him was an all too familiar flag hanging from the ceiling between two intricate red and golden pillars. It was a room he had only seen in his dreams from a distorted childhood, but everything was so clear to him, the sight of dimly lit shadows, the scent of cinders and incense, the warmth of fire… </p><p>“Good morning, Tetsurou,” Kuroo watched as a figure made his way before him, standing in golden and red silk robes, his hair in a topknot, secured by an ornate hairpiece. It was none other than the Fire Lord.  Kuroo scoffed, his lip curling in disgust as he turned his cheek to the Fire Lord. He had no respect for him, and he wanted to make sure the Fire Lord knew that.</p><p>“Come now, you shouldn’t treat me that way, Tetsu. Afterall, I gave your parents the honor of becoming your godfather. I was supposed to care for you like my own after your sweet mother disappeared, and your poor father died in battle,” His voice held so much venom, it was almost as if he were teasing Kuroo.</p><p>“You killed them,” Kuroo hissed, struggling against his restraints. His hands were bound behind his back, his knees sore from kneeling for so long. Kuroo wanted nothing more than to burn the smug look off of the bastard’s face. </p><p>“I was so saddened when I learned of my dear friend’s passing, really. I was heartbroken,” A sick smile crossed his lips as he stood before Kuroo, taking slow steps towards him. </p><p>“What do you want,” Kuroo spat, a string of steam escaping from between his lips. The Fire Lord was getting on his last nerve.</p><p>“Oh, calm down. I have a simple favor to ask of you. That is all,” Kuroo looked up, shivering at the smile that crossed the Fire Lord’s face. By the looks of it, he wouldn’t have much of a choice.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So sorry this took so long! I hope you enjoy this chapter!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Kou! What’s up!” It was late when Bokuto had decided to head home. The warriors would be returning soon, and his father had made it clear that Bokuto needed to be there to greet them. Among the many warriors was his brother, Kajuqtuq. A prodigy who had mastered his element by the time he was ten, tales of his trials and tribulations were passed along crackling campfires on hunting trips. Children would don their fathers’ armor and run outside to reenact the stories whispered into their sleepy minds as they would fall asleep. Perfection didn’t exist, but Bokuto believed that Kajuqtuq was the closest thing there could ever be to it.</p><p>Kajuqtuq was polite, a well-tempered young man with smooth brown skin, his eyes warm pools of crystals found in the deepest of caves. His hair was long, a fluffed up mess as it would cascade down his back, his bangs oftentimes covering his eyes, letting only slivers of precious blue seep through inky and thick threads of soft hair. His face was chiseled, cheekbones high and defined, his jaw cut from stone, yet his smile was always so tender and warm. Bokuto had always wanted to be like him.</p><p>“Tuq!” Bokuto waved a hand in the air animatedly, amber eyes oozing a warm glow while his brother made his way towards Bokuto and their father. The sky was dark, the only light coming from the stars and moon above. There were dozens of boats docked, weary warriors stepping from them with their chests puffed in pride. Some brandished new scars, others held defeat in their eyes. A few of them were carried out by fellow warriors, a leg or a foot gone. The most heart-wrenching sight, however, was that of an aging man limping from the ship on his own, refusing the help of the younger warriors who had undoubtedly trained under him. His white hair was singed in some places, hacked off in others, half of his face was wrapped in fresh bandages, and his right arm was supported by a sling, resting against his chest. Though it was a sad sight, Bokuto could feel the pride and strength radiating from his tired body. Kajuqtuq quickly moved out of the way, allowing the older man to make his way towards their father. As the man inched closer, Bokuto could more clearly make out the wrinkles in his face, the bags that clung underneath his eyes. He had been Akaashi’s teacher for years.</p><p>“Toklo,” Bokuto watched as his father bowed before the old man. Kajuqtuq, who had made his way to stand beside Bokuto, followed his father’s actions and Bokuto quickly followed suit.</p><p>“Ah, you don’t have to bow to a warrior, Chief. Now get on up, your boy shouldn’t see you bowing to someone beneath you,” Bokuto stiffened, his body going rigid at the old man’s harsh tone. He had never been fond of Bokuto. He hated everything about him, from his skin to his eyes and his abilities, or lack thereof. Bokuto wasn’t someone who Toklo acknowledged, and he never would. Clearing his throat, Aklaq stood straight.</p><p>“Right, well, we’ve been preparing a banquet for you and your family at the palace. We hope to see you there,” Aklaq explained, his left hand holding onto the side of his neck.</p><p>“I didn’t know we were preparing a banquet,” Bokuto glanced at his brother and muttered, his brows knit in confusion.</p><p>“Yeah, well, you probably haven’t been home enough to realize all the preparations being made,” Kajuqtuq snickered, playfully shoving his brother. Bokuto grunted, bracing himself upon impact. For as bulky as Bokuto was, his brother seemed to be made of lead.</p><p>“Tuq…” Bokuto groaned, grimacing at the dull ache that steadily spread across his shoulder.</p><p>“Just use your healing, you’ll be fine,” Kajuqtuq teased, an innocent smile adorning his face. Bokuto screwed his eyes shut, sucking in a sharp breath as all conversation between his father and Toklo seemed to cease in moments.</p><p>“He’s a healer?” Toklo practically snarled, turning to glare pointed daggers into the side of Bokuto’s head. Bokuto could feel the way the heat rushed his face, taking siege and claim of the usually white skin. He hated being the odd one out, especially in situations like these. “That’s a woman’s skill, he shouldn’t be learning it. But then again, what can we expect from an outsider? He can barely bend within an inch of his life, his hold is weak, his form is always unstable and flawed, of course, he’d have to resort to healing,” Toklo spat, turning his cheek to Bokuto and shoving him to the side as he made his way into the city.</p><p>Bokuto was practically gnawing on his bottom lip, tears collecting in the corners of his eyes. Toklo had never respected him, he refused to teach Bokuto; it didn’t matter that it was a request from the Chief. When he was a little boy, Bokuto would watch his brother as he trained in the courtyard with Toklo. Kajuqtuq learned quickly and was always being praised by Toklo. To Toklo, Kajuqtuq was one of his own. Even when Bokuto would purposely get in the way, Toklo would ignore him, throw him to the side of the courtyard with a few flicks of his wrist, strings of water tying around Bokuto’s ankles, and harshly flinging him into solid ice. He had made it very clear that Bokuto could never be one of them, one from the North.</p><p>
  <i>“He isn’t one of us, he will never be one of us,”</i>
</p><p>“Kou…” Bokuto looked up, turning his head from side to side to examine the scenery before him. The warriors had retreated to their homes long ago. His father was gone, and so was Toklo. All that remained were the docked ships, Bokuto, and Kajuqtuq. Blinking once or twice, it took him a minute before he realized that the tears that had pooled in his eyes had finally fallen, freezing into place along his cheeks. It wouldn’t be long before his eyelashes began to frost over as well.</p><p>“Kou, I’m so sorry. I… I didn’t know, well I mean I did, but I just… I forgot to think Kou. I forgot to think and now I got you into this whole mess with Master Toklo, and I-”</p><p>“What did he mean? What did he mean when he called me an outsider? My mother was from the southern water tribe, right? That’s what dad told me. Sure, maybe she wasn’t from the North, but water tribe is water tribe, isn’t it?” Kajuqtuq blinked, his eyebrows furrowing with confusion.</p><p>“I… I don’t know, Kou. <i>I don’t know<i>,” Kajuqtuq whispered, his gaze focused on the docked ships that sat behind Bokuto. He, of course, was lying. “Let’s uh, let’s head home, yeah? Grannie Arnaaluk made pickled fish earlier, tentacle soup too!” In seconds, Kajuqtuq was back to being bright and joyful, a grin beginning to spread across his face while his body seemed to buzz with energy once more. Bokuto looked up at Kajuqtuq, his eyes somber and seemingly distant. As much as he loved his Grannie’s tentacle soup, he just wasn’t up for it, not tonight.</i></i></p><p>“I’m good. I’ll be home in a bit, so tell dad not to worry, okay?” Bokuto gave Kajuqtuq the best smile he could manage, turning to leave before his brother could try to drag him home. He felt that he needed some time to himself, or at least some time away from Toklo.</p><p>***</p><p>Kuroo, like most other times, was right. He did not have any say in the matter. He either brought back the crown prince, or his grandma would be killed. Of course, he felt bad for the kid. He’d be coming home to a warring nation ruled by an insane and land-hungry Fire Lord, but he didn’t want his grandmother to die for some kid the world knew nothing about.</p><p>“I want you to search every nation, every city, every village. I will stop at nothing to get that boy back,” The Fire Lord had hammered those words into his head for what felt like years. It must have only been a few hours at most, but his voice was gyrating against Kuroo’s already blown out eardrums. It didn’t matter that it was by the Fire Lord’s orders, Kuroo was ready to leave and never hear his voice for as long as he lived.</p><p>“Here’s a sketch of what Prince Koutaro looked like as a boy. He usually responded to Koutaro or Bokuto, but his name might have changed since then. We believe him to be somewhere in the Earth Kingdom. You’re to bring him back to the palace as soon as you find him,” Kuroo had been throwing his bags haphazardly into a sailboat when a soldier approached him. In his hands, he held a rolled-up piece of paper, crinkled and yellowing with age. He assumed it was an old portrait. Kuroo took the piece of paper and promptly shoved it into his hip pouch, looking up in time to see the soldier pulling off the scabbard on his back.</p><p>“What’s that for?” Kuroo asked, his eyes narrowing at the sight of the familiar-looking leather straps. Aged and brown, beautiful patterns carved into the once tough leather.</p><p>“The Fire Lord said that these had belonged to you,” The soldier explained, handing the scabbard and swords to Kuroo. Frowning to himself, Kuroo took the swords from the soldier, shrugging on the scabbard before pulling out the two blades, goosebumps rising along his skin at the familiar scrape of the metal against the sheaths.</p><p>“I forgot about these. He gave them to me as a gift when I was a kid before he went and damn near massacred my entire family,” Kuroo scoffed, placing the swords back into their sheaths. The soldier said nothing in response. Instead, he handed Kuroo a large pack of what he assumed was full of clothing.</p><p>“There're jackets and sleeping bags in here, clothing for any climate really. We assume that Lady Yuki fled with Prince Koutaro to the Earth Kingdom, but there’s a slight chance that they ran to one of the Poles. Good luck,” Kuroo nodded, grabbing the decently sized pack and throwing it onto the small ship.</p><p>In less than half an hour, Kuroo was already out on the ocean, struggling to sail on already rocky waters. He could have gotten a sailor if he had asked, but he didn’t feel like having a fire nation soldier breathing down his neck the whole journey. Luckily, though, Kuroo learned fast. It seemed that it would be smooth sailing from then on out.</p><p>“Let’s take a look at this poster then,” Kuroo grumbled to himself after he had settled into a slouched position. Unbuckling his hip pouch, Kuroo pulled out the now crumpled paper and hastily unrolled it. Like any other member of the royal family, the boy had striking amber eyes, his hair was black, falling over his forehead and even covering his eyes a little bit. His smile was wide, his skin pale, his cheeks holding a rosy tint. He looked innocent, and Kuroo almost felt bad, almost. He would have if the guy were still four, but this Bokuto was his age by now. He was probably some monstrous firebender too. Sighing to himself, Kuroo splayed out on the floor of the ship, letting the crumpled poster go, and turning his head to watch as it got lost in the swirling wind.</p><p>“You gotta do what you gotta do…” Kuroo mumbled, letting his eyes shut while the breeze swam over his body. A short nap couldn’t do any harm, could it?</p><p>***</p><p>It was late by the time Akaashi had gone to look for Bokuto. He had missed out on the entire banquet, but Akaashi had managed to save some tentacle soup for them, which was currently awaiting them in Akaashi’s home.</p><p>“Bokuto-san!” Akaashi called out into the blizzard that was brewing before him. Though Water Tribe clothing was made for freezing temperatures, it would be impossible to survive for so long outside without proper expedition gear.</p><p>Akaashi had always been grateful to Master Toklo. He had taken him in and shown him the beauty in waterbending while Akaashi’s father was out fighting the war. To Akaashi, Master Toklo was the grandfather he had never had. To others, however, Master Toklo was the grumpy old Master who cared only for those with talent. Akaashi could see why so many people disliked him.</p><p>Taking a breath full of snow and nipping winds, Akaashi looked around, his eyes straining against the white on white scenery before him. There had to be a cliff, a cave, a stretch of ice, glaciers, something that could make the terrain somewhat identifiable. And then he saw it, a decent sized cave hidden amongst mounds of ice and snow. Akaashi could see a faint glow emitting from the semi-translucent cave of ice and instantly knew it was Bokuto.</p><p>Sighing in relief, Akaashi jogged towards the cave, grimacing at the sting of cold air to his lungs. How had he forgotten to wear at least a scarf? His mother had always told him that people like them, people whose ancestors hailed from the Fire Nation, did not have lungs built for the cold.</p><p>“Bokuto-san?” Akaashi was panting by the time he had managed to stumble into the cave, his cheeks tinted pink, the tip of his nose bright red. Bokuto looked up, dulled amber eyes lit by the beginnings of a small fire.</p><p>“Akaashi… Akaashi, why’d you come out here? It’s cold and you don’t exactly have the right clothing to be in the middle of the tundra,” Bokuto pointed out, pulling off his scarf and handing it to him.</p><p>“I’m fine, you probably need it more than I do. You get sick a lot easier,” Bokuto frowned, wrapping the scarf around his neck once more, his owl-like eyes prying into Akaashi’s very being while he awaited an answer to his question.</p><p>“I came to look for you. Kajuqtuq and Chief Aklaq are worried about you. It isn’t like you to miss out on your Grandma’s tentacle soup,” Akaashi murmured, taking a seat beside Bokuto on the snowed over earth beneath them. Bokuto chuckled in response, waving a hand through the fire, his eyes filled with wonder as the flames danced along his palms. Akaashi’s eyes widened, and before Bokuto could take another breath, Akaashi had put out the fire with a clump of snow he had picked up from the ground.</p><p>“Akaashi!” Bokuto whined, giving his friend a pointed look for putting out the small fire he had worked so hard on. “I used the last of my seal fat on that,” Bokuto grumbled, staring at the ashen ground in dismay.</p><p>“You can get more the next time you go out hunting,” Akaashi pointed out, chuckling to himself as he watched Bokuto pout, standing up and brushing off the snow from his pants.</p><p>“You say that, but seal hunting is a lot harder than you’d think!” Bokuto grumbled, following closely behind Akaashi as they made their way out from the small, and now very dark, cave. Akaashi shook his head in amusement, stopping just outside the cave to look out in the sea of glaciers a little ways away from them. “Remember when we fell into the ocean while messing around on top of the ice?” Bokuto asked, a mischievous grin on his face as he walked to stand at Akaashi’s side. Akaashi scoffed, rolling his eyes at just the thought.</p><p>“How could I forget? You stole one of Kajuqtuq’s spears and decided to ‘try and make an island’. If I hadn’t followed you, you might have drifted off into the ocean.” Akaashi muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.</p><p>“But you followed me ‘cause you just care about me so much, huh, Akaashi? And then when you tried to pull me off the ice I fell into the water and accidentally dragged you in with me. If it hadn’t been for your bending, we could have frozen to death!” Bokuto exclaimed, raising his hands above his head to exaggerate the moment just that much more. “Hey, what if we go look at the ice again? Just a quick peek, huh?” Bokuto’s eyes seemed to light up like the northern lights, wide and oh so warm against such a bleak sky.</p><p>“Bokuto-san, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Akaashi pointed out, eyes widening as he watched Bokuto rush off towards the glaciers and broken off sheets of ice and snow.</p><p>“C’mon, what’s the worst that can happen?” Bokuto turned to ask as he made his way towards the breaking ice. Akashi might not have been an expert on war, but he was almost sure that they shouldn’t be meddling around the shores where potential enemies could land.</p><p>“A lot of things can go wrong, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi muttered to himself, and even though he knew it was a bad idea, he still followed behind Bokuto. After all, what was the worst that could happen?</p><p>***</p><p>Kuroo was wrong, spirits above was he wrong. A short nap could do lots of harm, or rather, a full night’s worth of sleep crammed into the early afternoon’s day. So, so much could go wrong. In just a few hours, he had managed to lose course, and spin completely out of control, his sailboat crashing into glaciers and rocks, being furiously tossed around by biting cold northern, or maybe even southern, waters. Kuroo wondered how the people of either water tribe could survive in such conditions. Shivering, and quite close to death, Kuroo let his body drift among the cold waters, no longer feeling the numbingly cold heat sting his limbs and frost over his skin with blazing blasts of wind. This was how he died, drifting in foreign waters, rattled by the cold, and embalmed by the sea. Hell, maybe he would become dinner for a seal or two, maybe even an orca if he were lucky. Kuroo, however, was very much not a lucky fellow, quite the opposite in fact.</p><p>Off in the distance, he could hear the chatter of what he assumed were two friends. He could make out few words, and their voices seemed to be muffled by the lull of splashing ocean water against his eardrums, literally and figuratively. He wondered if he would be taken prisoner, hostage, even. Would they show him mercy? Spirits above, Kuroo hoped so.</p><p>“…Aashi! Look… wreck? Ther…. him in?” Kuroo blinked, willing away the spots and blurs in his vision. He wondered who his saviors would be. Perhaps some tall, chiseled warrior with skin holding the warmth of a thousand suns? Would he be greeted by piercing blue eyes that were only found in the Water Tribe? Whoever they could be, Kuroo hoped they would make his death quick and painless.</p><p>And then suddenly, his vision was obscured by two pale faces, too pale to belong to the people of the Water tribe. Letting his vision focus, he could feel the breath get caught in his throat as he stared into pools of warm honey that would have been sweet if the realization had not dawned upon him.</p><p>“We can’t take him in. What if he’s a spy or a soldier? We’ll bring him back, but he’s going straight to the chief,”</p><p>“What if he’s running from the war? Huh? He could be a refugee!”</p><p>Kuroo coughed, grimacing as he felt himself choke on the water that had managed to force its way into his lungs. First, he almost dies at sea, and then he comes face to face with the crown prince, who is just a bit too attractive for his liking, Kuroo wished he had not taken that nap.</p><p>“Look, he’s hurt! Can I at least heal him first?” Kuroo blinked in confusion, heal him? The guy was a firebender. How could he heal him?</p><p>“Fine, but quick,” Kuroo watched as the blue-eyed stranger crossed his arms over his chest, keeping a watchful eye on the crown prince as he lifted a decent sized amount of water, swirling it in his hands once or twice before getting to work. He worked quickly, eyes focused as the glowing sphere of water traveled over bruises and cuts along Kuroo's body, guided by the crown prince's gracefully moving hands.</p><p>Kuroo winced, groaning as the sphere traveled over his body, holding a soft blue light as it moved in such a pretty way between the crown prince’s hands. He was grateful, of course, he was. But the confusion lingered on the cusp of his thoughts, swirling around in murky waters. The crown prince was the son of two firebenders, and though the boy looked very similar to the crown prince, he was waterbending. Groaning as his vision started to fog, Kuroo screwed his eyes shut, letting his body fall into a less than comfortable rest. For both their sake, Kuroo hoped he had stumbled onto the wrong person.</p><p>***</p><p>Bokuto sighed as he let himself fall back first into the snow. Akaashi had gone off to the city half an hour ago to get the Chief. Meanwhile, Bokuto had stayed to monitor the castaway in the same cave that he and Akaashi had been in no less than an hour ago.</p><p>“You’re one lucky guy, turns out I still have just enough seal fat left to start a decent fire!” Bokuto cheered, wonder in his eyes as he watched the fire slowly building before him. Bokuto didn’t know how to explain it, but he had always loved fire. He would always get just a little too close to it, and though his father had always scolded him for it, Bokuto couldn’t help but be drawn to it. For as dangerous as it was, it was also a source of warmth, a nurturing thing. Bokuto thought it was gorgeous. Even after hearing stories of Fire Nation soldiers, he had still come to find some sort of ethereal beauty in the fire that blazed around him, and maybe even in him.</p><p>Looking over at the stranger, Bokuto tilted his head. His clothes were undeniably Fire Nation, that much he knew. He had only seen it twice in his life, once in a dream where a beautiful woman had held him in the middle of a blizzard, and once more when Akaashi’s mother had shown the boys traditional Fire Nation wear. The colors, the patterns, everything about it seemed to send a certain nostalgia to Bokuto’s mind, flooding his senses and rendering him to a dreamy and near incapacitated state. For the umpteenth time that day, Bokuto wondered if he really did belong to the Water Tribe.</p><p>“Kou! Kou!” Bokuto instantly recognized his Grandmother’s shrill and quivering voice. “Kou! Kou? There you are, you big oaf! We were worried about you, and here you are tending to a stranger! Spirits, your generosity will be your downfall, I tell you! Now, scoot, let’s see how well you tended to this young man,” Bokuto sighed, standing up and letting his grandmother tend to the castaway. His grandmother had always talked a bit too much, asked a bit too many questions, and yet, she never gave anyone room to answer them. This time, Bokuto assumed, was no different.</p><p>“Taro! Over here!” Bokuto walked towards the mouth of the cave, peeking out to see his father accompanied by his brother and Akaashi. Kajuqtuq was animatedly waving a hand, his father had his arms crossed over his chest, and Akaashi was carrying an extra pack of warm clothes for the stranger.</p><p>“What’s up?” Bokuto asked as soon as they stepped into the cave. Aklaaq sighed through his nose, his eyes stones in tired depths.</p><p>“You’re sure he’s not a soldier?” Aklaaq questioned, his foot impatiently tapping against compact snow, crunching it beneath his boots.</p><p>“Yes, Akaashi searched him and I searched the surrounding waters for any boat or supplies. All I could find was debris, and Akaashi found two swords on his back,” Bokuto explained, walking towards Akaashi and taking the clothes from his arms.</p><p>“Oh good! You brought extra clothes! This boy would have frozen to death if you hadn’t!” Bokuto’s grandmother chirped, walking up to Bokuto to take the clothing out of his arms. “I like this boy, he has this mischievous nature to him. I think he’ll make a great friend for Kou, what do you think, Akie-boy?” Aklaaq opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, looking between his mother and the stranger on the snow, and shook his head.</p><p>“I don’t think we should be making friends with people from other nations during a time of war,” Aklaq grumbled, watching closely as Bokuto kneeled beside his grandmother, taking in everything she said. Though Bokuto was an incredible healer, he still had much to learn from his grandmother.</p><p>“You’re about as stiff as that old Toklo! As soon as he sees an outsider he basically puffs up like a scared polar bear dog,” Arnaaluk retorted, standing up to storm towards her son, her wrinkled and bony fingers clutching onto Aklaaq’s earlobe with a vice-like grip.</p><p>“We can learn a lot from other nations, and not all people from the Fire Nation back their Fire Lord! Have you really forgotten that the Water Tribe is a peaceful nation? Water is the element of change! We adapt, we overcome, we don’t hide! Didn’t that old man of your father ever teach you anything?” Bokuto chuckled to himself as his grandmother scolded his father, pulling his ear until it was red like the tip of Bokuto’s nose.</p><p>“Yes, we can learn from the other nations, but is it wise to do so during a time of war?” Akaashi questioned, walking further into the cave to analyze the man in the snow. The tip of the stranger's nose was bright red, his cheeks tinted a furious pink, his lips the slightest hint of blue. Arnaaluk was right, he could have died if he had gotten the clothes a moment later. “We need to be cautious. He’s from the Fire Nation. He could be a soldier,” Akaashi warned.</p><p>“Non-sense. This boy has a kind soul, if anything, he looks a bit witty and sly, but I feel no malice in him. In fact, I believe this boy will carry a heavy burden soon,” Arnaluuk predicted, a smile on her lips as she placed a fist in her palm.</p><p>“Alright, Grannie. I think it’s time for you to go home. I think the cold’s startin’ to get to ya’,” Kajuqtuq sighed, stepping into the cave to pick up his grandmother. Arnaaluk merely smiled, letting her grandson pick her up and carry her out of the cave with no complaints.</p><p>“He’ll turn out to be a fine, young man, I just know it,” Arnaluuk mumbled before Kajuqtuq finally stepped out of the cave. Aklaaq sighed, massaging his temples as he walked towards Bokuto and Akaashi.</p><p>“As much as I would want to agree with Master Toklo and his ideology, my mother has never led me astray,” Aklaaq murmured, staring down at the young man, and watching as he stirred in his sleep. “I leave him to you two. Get him situated and keep a close eye on him, okay, Bokuto?” Aklaaq gave his son a pointed look and Bokuto huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.</p><p>“I’m twenty years old! I’m not a child anymore,” Bokuto grumbled, scowling as his father guffawed once before leaving all three boys in the cave.</p><p>“I don’t think he looks all that threatening,” Bokuto mumbled as he sat next to the fire. The stranger would need to warm up just a little more before they could head out into the city.</p><p>“Not now, but he had two swords on him, and he has the same callouses and burns on his hands that firebenders possess,” Akaashi pointed out, settling down next to Bokuto in the snow. Bokuto hummed in response, leaning into Akaashi and letting his mind get lost amongst the pretty flames that crackled before them.</p><p>“You know, sometimes- sometimes I believe the spirits gave me the wrong element,” Bokuto confessed, quickly sticking a hand into the open fire before pulling it out, grimacing just a tinge at the soft burn that steadily heated his palm. “I think fire or air would have been a much better match,” Bokuto mumbled, turning to look at Akaashi.</p><p>“You’re much too kind to be a firebender. Their element and bending is fueled by rage and hatred,” Akaashi muttered, yawning and stretching his legs out before him. How much longer until they could leave?</p><p>“The dragons originally taught firebending to the Sun Warriors. It’s because of people from the Fire Nation that the element became so twisted. But they say you can still learn the original form of bending if you go to visit the dragons on the island that the Sun Warriors live on,” Bokuto explained. Akaashi frowned, sitting up straight to look at his friend.</p><p>“Who told you all that?” Akaashi asked, eyes holding a puzzled look while Bokuto seemed to rack his brain of the forgotten memory lost to time.</p><p>“Now that you mention it... I… I don’t know,” Bokuto whispered, looking down at his hands with a lost look. The explanation sat heavily on his tongue, yet he could never grasp onto the words that danced so clearly inside his mind. Maybe it was the woman from his recurring dream, perhaps it was his grandmother or father. Bokuto could not tell Akaashi, even if he wanted to.</p><p>***</p><p>To say he was cold was an understatement. Kuroo was freezing. Squinting against the light provided by crackling flames, he looked around, his eyes skimming past an ice ceiling before landing on a black head of hair, and a spiked head of black and white hair.</p><p>“Where am I?” Kuroo grumbled to himself, wriggling around in the confines of what he could only assume was a sleeping bag.</p><p>“Oh, good! You’re awake! I was starting to get impatient. I’m-” Kuroo watched as the young man with the black hair and blue eyes put up a hand, stopping the spiky-haired boy from uttering another word.</p><p>“I’m Akaashi Keiji, you can refer to me as Akaashi. This is Prince Inuksuk. Can you walk? The city is a ways away from where we are now,” Akaashi explained, gesturing to the mouth of the cave they were in. Kuroo nodded hesitantly, turning to look at Prince Inuksuk, whose face had been overcome with a deep frown. Kuroo wondered how the Prince could go from bright and cheery, to pouty and upset in a matter of seconds. In a way, he found it endearing.</p><p>Grunting, Kuroo shimmied out of the sleeping bag, shuddering as soon as a sharp wisp of freezing air cut across his face. It took him a moment or two before he was finally standing, stretching his arms above his head before taking a few steps on his wobbly legs.</p><p>“Here, you might need this,” Kuroo turned to look at Inuksuk. In his arms he held what Kuroo could only assume was expedition gear. Would it really be that far of a walk? Spirits, Kuroo hoped it wouldn't be.</p><p>“I always wondered how the Water Tribe managed to survive,” Kuroo quipped, taking the clothing from Inuksuk’s arms and quickly sliding them on over his own clothes. The more warmth the better, right? “Say, you two look nothing like what comes to mind when I think of Water Tribe,” Kuroo turned back to look at the two young men from the mouth of the cave, a playful and yet sly grin lingering on his lips. He watched as Akaashi stiffened, turning to glare at Kuroo with sharp, blue icicles of eyes.</p><p>“You talk an awful lot for someone who could be taken prisoner at any moment,” Akaashi snapped, blue eyes raging silently behind a stoic expression. Kuroo could hear an exasperated sigh come from his left, and he turned to watch as the Prince picked up the sleeping bag that was lying on the floor.</p><p>“Don’t you think you’re being a little too defensive? We need to leave before we get caught in a storm. We can ask questions along the way, or better yet, once we get this guy situated,” Inuksuk pointed out.</p><p>“You are an awfully smart man, your highness. Oh, and you can call this guy, Kuroo,” Kuroo gave Inuksuk a playful grin, laughing at the way the prince’s face contorted in disgust at the title. “What’s the matter, your highness?” Kuroo teased.</p><p>“Everyone just calls me Inuksuk, We’re not too big with formalities,” Inuksuk explained, his cheeks beginning to hold a soft, pink tint.</p><p>“We need to get moving,” Kuroo turned to look at Akaashi, noticing the sour expression that clung to his features. He couldn’t help but wonder what had gotten under Akaashi’s skin.</p><p>***</p><p>“My mother used to say that spirits could always be found in either the North or South Poles. Have you ever actually seen spirits?” Kuroo mused. Bokuto tilted his head, turning to look at Kuroo as they trekked across plains of snow. Amber eyes bore into sly hazel stones and Bokuto hummed to himself in thought. “I mean, spirits reside in sacred areas, right? And isn’t the North full of sacred, spirit places?” They had been walking for maybe fifteen minutes. Akaashi was silent, walking ahead of both Bokuto and Kuroo. Bokuto, on the other hand, was busy humoring Kuroo and all his questions.</p><p>“There was a time when the spirits became angry. I learned that I could spirit bend during that time,” Bokuto kept his response short. As much as he wanted to tell Kuroo the full story, he knew it probably wasn't a good idea. He understood that Akaashi was only looking out for him, but it felt like the entire North Pole was trying to guard him against this unforeseen evil. </p><p>“I didn’t even know spirit-bending existed. How’s it work?” Bokuto watched as Kuroo tilted his head, sly hazel eyes alit with wonder while little gears seemed to work behind his gaze. </p><p>“I honestly don’t know. I can do it, but I could never explain it. It’s basically just swirling water around the angry spirit to subdue it and help it become calm,” Bokuto explained, a subtle blush dusting over the apples of his cheeks. He wasn’t exactly the brightest, and it was times like these where he was hyper-aware of it. </p><p>Bokuto knew. spirits, he knew. Kuroo was from the Fire Nation. For all he knew, Kuroo could be out to sabotage the Water Tribe, but his grandmother had placed so much of her faith in him, had seen the warmth behind his tired eyes, just like Bokuto had. And maybe the ramblings of a nearly senile woman should not have been enough for Bokuto to wager all his chips on Kuroo. But the flames that pranced in Kuroo’s irises enthralled Bokuto like nothing ever had before. Bokuto hoped his Grandmother was right.</p><p>***</p><p>All things considered, Kuroo believed the trip had gone quite smoothly, as long as they didn't count the journey to his temporary home. War was an ugly thing, and though Kuroo had seen what it had done to his home and his people, he had never seen what it had done to other nations. Everyone had poked their heads from their front doors as soon as they entered the city, frosted blue stones of eyes digging into every inch of his body. Just as he had thought, everyone and their mother seemed to hate the Fire Nation, and with good reason. </p><p>Kuroo was grateful though. The house was small, yet much bigger than the tiny home he had been living in with his grandmother. Like most structures, the home was mainly made from ice, the furniture built from imported wood and animal skins, it had a cozy feel. </p><p>"So, do you like it?" Kuroo turned back, his eyes landing on Inuksuk, who was closing the door behind him. Akaashi had left only a few moments ago, stating that Inuksuk would be fine on his own, especially with the house being so close to the palace. </p><p>"Honestly, it's way nicer than anything I've seen in the Fire Nation, or at least from the part of town that I come from," Kuroo explained. "Back home, I live in a tiny village. The houses are small, it's all crowded, and almost everyone is sickly. The Fire Lord only cares for the nobles and socialites who live in the nicer parts of the Fire Nation," Kuroo sighed, plopping onto the decently sized couch in the living room. "It all looks a lot nicer here though. The people of the Water Tribe, you all seem to be very kind people," Kuroo was ashamed, in all honesty, he really was. The place he had called home for so long, the man who he had thought of as his uncle, as his family, any and every tie he had, any bond that he had treasured, they all seemed to burn, crumbling away in torrents of heavy wind. Kuroo wondered if he was betraying the only people he had left. Would his parents really want him to be chasing after the Fire Lord's son? His grandmother certainly wouldn't. And yet, here he was. Sitting inside a Water Tribe home, the prince just a meter or two away from him. </p><p>"So I guess you're stuck with me for a bit, huh?" Inuksuk tilted his head, and Kuroo watched as a smile crept onto the prince's face. He had a nice smile, blinding like the white tundras that encompassed the village. It was a shame, really. Kuroo wondered if they could have been friends in a different time. </p><p>"It doesn't mean that it has to be boring, though. Why don't we go out into the city, grab some noodles? Think of me as your tour guide!" His amber eyes held warmth, his smile a magnet, and Kuroo could feel his heart flutter just the tiniest bit. </p><p>"I would love to go on a date with you, Prince Inuksuk," Kuro teased, watching as the Prince's smile seemed to grow just that much bigger. A night out on the town couldn't hurt, right?</p>
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